View allAll Photos Tagged Inaction
Age doesn't matter, we have to be interested in all kind of animals.
Canon AV-1
Canon FD 50mm F/1.4 S.S.C.
Kodak T-Max 400
Processed by Laboratorio JPF, Santiago, Chile
Many weeks of inaction (in terms of using my cameras) motivated me to go for a photosession today (being my weekend). Bought some lilies and started taking pictures..
This is what i ended up with....thought this is the picture i will start with. Hope you like it.
your opinion most welcome..
Half Hearted Doesn’t Get You Started. It doesn’t matter what your business or job, if you don’t commit to doing something you love, you’re in danger of getting into the “half hearted” zone. This is more dangerous when you have your own business, but could also mean losing a job. The first thing you need to look at is your own desire to do the job at hand. If there is something in the business that you see as lucrative and that is the ONLY reason you want to do it, there is the possibility (or worse) that you can enter into it half heartedly. So, ask yourself if it is something that you are really passionate about. Does the task you have to do FEEL like work, or is it a pleasure? In my own experience, something that doesn’t “float your boat” is that which leads to a less than committed approach. Essentially, you need to reflect on your own desires, interests and passions to be able to make the right decisions. Avoiding Half Heartedness. I have already mentioned knowing what you want, the reason for doing it and your passion for the business. If you are sure that your choice is truly the one for you, there could be other factors that are causing your less than fully committed approach. These things usually end up being psychological and can destroy confidence and therefore the belief that you will get results. The importance of looking inside yourself and discovering the underlying problem cannot be stressed enough, but this is not always easy to accept. Many people make statements that are designed to take away the feeling of failure in a personal way. They tend to blame a system for not working, even though others are using it with great success. Either that or it’s so and so’s fault because they promised to have you earning by the end of month 1. The problem with this attitude is that EVERY opportunity is no opportunity. NOTHING works because the person is relying on others and not doing the work necessary to see the success they crave. “We will do the work for you” is a myth, or extremely rare at best so don’t fall for it! The most important thing you can do is look for the RIGHT opportunity in the niche that you have the MOST passion for. If there isn’t one, perhaps you could design and build that opportunity yourself. There are courses out there that can help you do just that. There are so many ways to research with the resources available to us. It’s vital that you know what you want FIRST. You avoid the danger of the half hearted approach when you are fully committed to making something work. Yes, you may have to learn new skills. Until you accept that it’s YOU that makes things happen and are aware that blame is just another excuse for your own inaction, you will never move forward. Think about what you say to yourself and others. Is it right to state that something “doesn’t work” when there are several people making a LOT of money from it? The most ethical marketers share what they are doing to earn that money in paid for courses or sometimes for free if you’re a part of a network marketing team. It’s up to you to ask questions if you don’t understand what you have to do so you can be successful too. Of course, there are occasions where certain tasks don’t suit certain people. If you don’t “fit” in a particular system, you have not failed. You have found out that the system is not the right one for you. To know this, you have to do the work. Edison succeeded in making the light bulb by means of finding out what didn’t work. He eventually found what did and it grew from there. Without that determination and passion to achieve, we may not have had the advances in lighting technology we have now. They could have taken longer. Don’t give up your dream. Know what you want to do and where your passion is and you will achieve the success you crave. Settling for less than your true desire can lead to a half hearted approach that can prevent you starting on the right foot, or worst still, guarantee failure and dissolution and the fatal “blame culture”. To the future, Barrie Evans Check out more about half hearted The post Half Hearted Doesn’t Get You Started. appeared first on Online Marketing And mindset. Related posts: Have Faith In What You Do And Believe You Can Do It! It doesn’t matter what business you choose to do, the… Be Like Einstein And Follow Your Curiosity This is part one of a ten part series… Want To Go Blogging For Profit? Great Tips To Get You Started. If you want to go blogging for profit, there are… from Online Marketing And mindset ift.tt/200PFA3 via Article Source ift.tt/eA8V8J Online Marketing And mindset January 31, 2016 at 10:22AM
Rally against Turkish attacks against Kurds fighting Islamic State
The Kurdish peoples are very much a forgotten people in the middle-east being one of those cultures that stretches across national borders in the region. Kurdish people live in and form a majority in south eastern Turkey, Northern Iraq, Northern Syria, and western Iran.
The Kurdish militias have been a progressive force in the region, and are in conflict with Islamic State. Turkey has abrogated a ceasfire against the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), and has launched military attacks against Kurdish fighters and people, and arrests within Turkey. Australia has played politics by supporting the Turkish Government in listing the PKK as a terrorist organisation, while there is no threat to Australia.
This rally was held in Federation Square Saturday 29 August 2015
"Turkish state deliberately targeting Kurds and assisting ISIL"
Solicitor:"The PKK and YPG are our de facto allies against Islamic State, So why is Australian Government listing PKK as a terrorist organisation?"
"We have to break the silence on what is happening in Kurdistan" said Cr Sue Bolton.
Tim Gordon from Geelong Trades Hall: message of solidarity and support for Kurdish struggling for peace and self-determination. Together we can win.
The issues of freedom and self-determination for Kurdish people and Kurdistan are complex, but should not be denied.
Australian school students striking & organising to demand real action on the climate crisis
www.facebook.com/StrikeClimate/
www.instagram.com/schoolstrikeforclimate/
“We are striking from school to tell our politicians to take our futures
seriously and treat climate change for what it is - a crisis.” School Strike 4 Climate
Photo by Stephen Hass – Using Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License
Over 330,000 strike on Friday in Australia doubling the March 2019 protests.
Students, workers and people all ages in 115+ Australian cities & towns.
Potentially over 4 million people globally will participate in world's largest climate mobilisation.
“The strike comes three days before world leaders meet in New York for the United Nations Emergency Climate Summit. Scott Morrison will not attend the UN summit despite being in New York at the same time meeting with Donald Trump.” www.schoolstrike4climate.com/post/biggest-climate-mobilis...
“Politicians can show us that they care by taking urgent action to meet our demands:
One: No new coal, oil and gas projects, including the Adani mine.
Two: 100% renewable energy generation & exports by 2030
Three: Fund a just transition & job creation for all fossil-fuel workers & communities.”
School Strike 4 Climate
7 continents
150+ countries
5000+ Strikes
90 Unions
4 Global Union Federations
School Strike 4 Climate
“Climate change is one of the biggest problems facing the world and it isn’t being addressed quickly enough.” School Strike 4 Climate
UPDATE BELOW: 25 September 2019
“Greenhouse gas emissions have been rising in Australia since the Coalition repealed Labor’s carbon price despite the country’s commitments to reduce pollution under the Paris agreement. Total national emissions have increased each year since 2014.” www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/25/morrison-r...
“Diplomatic officials from countries that I speak with see Australia as a denialist government,” he said. “It’s just accepted that’s what it is. It is seen as doing its own promotion of coal and natural gas against the science.” www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/25/australian...
“Scott Morrison is increasingly seen as running a “denialist government” that is not serious about finding a global climate solution and uses “greenwash” to meet its emissions commitments, analysts and former diplomats say.” www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/25/australian...
“Richie Merzian, a former climate diplomat who now works at progressive thinktank the Australian Institute, said Australia was seen by other countries as denying the severity of the problem and in engaging in “greenwashing” by using accounting tricks to meet targets while actual emissions increased.” www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/25/australian...
“A report backed by the world’s major climate science bodies released on the eve of the summit found current plans would lead to a rise in average global temperatures of between 2.9C and 3.4C by 2100, a shift likely to bring catastrophic change across the globe.” www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/25/australian...
Critical News Update 21 July 2021 : Great Barrier Reef could soon be listed as ‘in danger’ by the World Heritage Committee.
www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/21/coalition-bel...
Critical News Update 23 July 2021 :
www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/23/whether-or-no...
From December 1st till December 12th in Poznań, Poland, the next major United Nations Climate Change Conference will be held. This is an important mark on the way to the Copenhagen Conference, which is planned for 2009. Action is needed really urgently, therefore decisions have to be made soon. Poznań is supposed to give different parties the opportunity for discussions and negotiations on the issue of climate change, preparing the Copenhagen negotiations. (More information here.)
In Belgium a few days ago in Friends of The Earth launched a video, making part of "The Big Ask" campaign. Belgium wouldn't be Belgium, if the video wouldn't be available in Dutch and in English. Explained by a child. Take 5 minutes to listen! (Not living in Belgium? Look for The Big Ask campaign in your country.)
On December 6th worldwide the next Global Day of Action with international demonstrations on climate change will be held. What is planned in your country?
["Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction" - quote from "Mass destruction" by Faithless.]
This infographic by Bill Rapp depicts the most significant and likely economic consequences for America if we default on our debt.
Read more in the Inside Politics w/ Bill Schneider - May '11
U.S. default could prompt new recession: study
By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States could plunge back into recession if inaction in Washington forced a debt default, according to a new analysis that arrives as the country reaches the legal limits of its borrowing authority.
Some 640,000 U.S. jobs would vanish, the housing market's woes would deepen, stocks would fall and lending activity would tighten if the country were unable to pay its bills, according to a report by the centrist think tank Third Way due out on Monday.
The Treasury Department is expected to hit its $14.3 trillion borrowing limit on Monday, making it unable to access the bond markets again. Lawmakers from both parties say they won't approve a further increase in borrowing authority without steps to keep debt under control.
But observers do not expect a deal to emerge for several months.
The Treasury Department says it can stave off default until August 2 by drawing on other pots of money to pay its bills.
Treasury officials have warned of "catastrophic" consequences if Congress does not approve a further debt-ceiling increase by then, but have declined to say exactly what would happen.
The Third Way report, based on a survey of existing economic research, spells out the details:
* Treasury bonds would lose their aura of safety, leading to a half-point increase in their interest rates. That would push up the U.S. government borrowing cost once lending activity resumed, leading to a $10 billion increase in annual budget deficits over the short term.
* The higher interest rates would ripple through the economy, causing gross domestic product to decrease by 1 percent and employers to shed 640,000 jobs.
* Banks would curtail lending. Small businesses would have a harder time expanding and credit-card interest rates would rise. Student loans and car loans would become more expensive.
* The S&P 500 stock index would lose 6.3 percent in value over three months, causing retirement portfolios to shrink, the report said, citing research by financial services firm Janney Montgomery Scott.
* The U.S. dollar's status as the world's reserve currency could be threatened as investors move cash to Swiss francs, Japanese yen, or Euros. That could boost U.S. exports but raise the cost of consumer goods like gasoline and electronics.
* Home mortgage rates, which are tied to U.S. Treasury rates, would rise. Homebuyers taking out an average mortgage for a new home, currently $221,900, would pay an extra $24,738 over the life of the loan, dealing another blow to an already struggling housing market.
"Defaulting on our debt is not an abstract idea that might affect a few institutions on Wall Street; it would harm tens of millions of Americans in profound and lasting ways," the report says.
(Editing by Philip Barbara)
www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/13/us-usa-budget-default-...
This shot captured in Masai Mara Oct 2012 again shows the inaction between the lioness and the cubs...a form of bonding action between the pride...here the two cubs are joined by one of the lioness in play action....a beautiful site to see the lioness placing its paw on the head of one of the cubs...
From Out of Character (Inaction Figures) at transit gallery
Ceramic Sculpture with Acrylic Finish
2005
The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse. Icelandic horses are long-lived and hardy. In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return. The Icelandic displays two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, and canter/gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. The only breed of horse in Iceland, they are also popular internationally, and sizable populations exist in Europe and North America. The breed is still used for traditional farm work in its native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing.
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Hasbro Inaction figure. It is likely that DC Direct has done an additional 200 in the past five years. At least the DC Direct Batman figures are unlikely to be turquoise or fuchsia, unless some trendy comic book artist has him wearing such a get up. I'd buy that comic only if Grant Morrison wrote it or Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams. George Perez definitely, but that's it!
The UX experts concentrating on global understanding are passionate,
focused, educated and extremely dedicated – all adjectives needed to work
through the challenge that comes with getting people interested in watching
240 hours of raw footage of a day in the life of 10 individuals across the
world.
Global Lives is an initiative whose mission “is to collaboratively build a
video library of human life experience that reshapes how we as both
producers and viewers conceive of cultures, nations and people outside of
our own communities.” The user experience and visual designers are
collaborating tonight to get to the crux of the issue.
The UX experts’ goal at UX 4 Good?
· To figure out the bigger issue
· To challenge the charity on a deeper level
· To define whether or not the point is to create empathy, pity, or
understanding.
Furthermore, once there is empathy, pity or understanding, how can the
organization create change within individuals enough to have them act on it?
In the brief given out to the experts, Global Lives challenges them to
“reconsider the problem of how to create empathy in a shrinking world.”
There have been many questions raised here.
1. How do we scale empathy?
2. How do we feel empathy?
3. Is being empathetic enough? Do we need to take action?
4. Is the ultimate goal to make the world smaller?
5. Consequences of inaction?
6. Who do we want to get “on-board?”
7. What does coming “on-board” look like?
8. Do videos truly create a visual and emotional reaction?
Although everyone admits the project is an incredible take on this social
issue – the biggest questions remain: Is this project sustainable? Is it
relevant? Can it truly create an impact?
Jennifer Berzansky, Associate Experience Director at Manifest Digital,
understands the issues that are involved with such a large video library,
and admits that there are issues with the Global Lives website, but she
thinks they must go beyond asking Global Lives to redesign a website.
The identity of Global Lives came into debate. Global Lives could benefit
from defining whether or not it is an art project with a social justice
outcome or if it is more interested in organizing social change, using art
as the medium.
Luiz Andrade, User Experience Design Manager at Underwriters Laboratories,
agrees with Berzansky. He goes further to suggest that they should be
viewing Global Lives as a client. The strategy needs to help them become
more effective with the use of these videos – not to find other mediums. The
medium is there. They need to use it. “Is there a way that we can salvage
their concept? The video won’t save the world, but maybe we can get them to
be effective enough to salvage it,” Andrade reiterates.
Finally, could Global Lives gain momentum through a creative commons
license? If they could allow people around the world to show them in a
restaurant, a church, a rural community or town hall, would that gain wider
viewership?
One thing’s for sure, there are many more questions than answers. Everyone
is excited to pick the brain of Global Lives’ Executive Director, David Evan
Harris’ brain tomorrow.
Watch David Evan Harris at TEDx Talks globallives.org/en/tedxtalk/
Log For Boys and Girls From Blammo - GI Joe and Barbie Logs cartoon spoof commercial character created by John Kricfalusi from the The Ren and Stimpy Show animation from the city of Decentville USA plastic action figure inaction toy toys comic book Spumco discipline that begets love inspired by Twin Peaks and David Lynch
2019 George Liquor - American - with his nephew Jimmy The Idiot Boy - cartoon character created by John Kricfalusi from the The Ren and Stimpy Show animation from the city of Decentville USA plastic action figure inaction toy toys comic book Spumco George C Scott like discipline that begets love New York City May 05/24/2019 NYC
The terminus for Travel Ludlow's service from Halesowen was in Somerset Road Harborne. Having turned at the island, far left, the bus would nest on this quiet Road until the return journey. The bus that was in inaction in this Februray 2004 picture is Scania/Wright S 372 SET The bus went on to serve with Midland Classic in the Burton area.
Copyright Geoff Dowling; all rights reserved
On a cold and overcast day thousands of people around Australia gathered to protest the inaction of State and Federal Politicians on reducing carbon emissions.
On June 13, 2009 thousands of people rallied for action on Climate Change. On a cold and bleak Melbourne winter day thousands gathered at the State Library where they heard from Greens Senator Bob Brown and 'Climate Codered' author and climate activist David Spratt, and other speakers. Leaving the State Library, people marched down Swanston Street to the front of the Melbourne Town Hall where the crowd was asked to do a sitdown protest. Inside the Town Hall the Victorian State Conference of the Australian Labor Party was meeting. A woman from Tuvalu spoke on the rising seas threat to her country and other low lying nations. Damien Lawson, National Climate Change Co-ordinator for Friends of the Earth spoke on the need for a campaign of popular civil disobedience if politicians continue taking no action or ineffectual action to rapidly decrease carbon emissions. The march then continued to Treasury Gardens.
See Videos of speeches outside the Town Hall and in the Treasury Gardens at Engagemedia or on my Youtube channel:
* Climate Emergency: Damien Lawson calls for Civil Disobedience Campaign for action on Climate Change
* Climate Emergency: thousands march in Melbourne calling for action
A protest called by Uni Students For Climate Justice in Melbourne, forming part of a COP26 Global Day of Action against climate inaction.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial was authorized by Public Law 99-572 on Oct. 28, 1986 "…to honor members of the United States Armed Forces who served in the Korean War, particularly those who were killed in action, are still missing inaction, or were held as prisoners of war." The law established an advisory board of 12 veterans appointed by the president to coordinate all aspects of the memorial’s construction. The site is located adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial directly across the reflecting pool from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The American Battle Monuments Commission managed the project and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided assistance. The architect of record is Cooper Lecky Architects. President Bill Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young Sam dedicated the memorial on July 27, 1995. Since the dedication several modifications have been incorporated: a kiosk to provide shelter for National Park Service personnel and a computer system with data housing the "Honor Role," which was accessible to the public. Correcting accessibility issues and replacement of the lighting in the statuary and along the mural wall with a state-of-the-art fiber optic system were required. Reconstruction of the pool and tree grove by the National Park Service and Corps of Engineers to improve tree maintenance and operate the reflecting pool was completed in July 1999. The overall cost There are 19 statues sculpted by Frank Gaylord of Barre, Vt., and cast by Tallix Foundries of Beacon, N.Y. They are approximately 7’3" tall, heroic scale and consist of 14 Army, 3 Marines, 1 Navy, 1 Air Force. They represent an ethnic cross section of America with 12 Caucasian, 3 African American, 2 Hispanic, 1 Oriental, 1 Indian (Native American).Three of the statues are in the woods, so if you are at the flagpole looking through the troops, you can't tell how many there are, and could be legions emerging from the woods. The statues are made of stainless steel, a reflective material that when seen in bright sunlight causes the figures to come to life. The blowing ponchos give motion to the column, so you can feel them walking up the hill with the cold winter wind at their backs, talking to one another. At nighttime the fronts of the statues are illuminated with a special white light; the finer details of the sculpture are clearly seen and the ghosts appear.
The juniper bushes are meant to be symbolic of the rough terrain encountered in Korea, and the granite stripes of the obstacles overcome in war. The Marines in column have the helmet chin straps fastened and helmet covers. Three of the Army statues are wearing paratrooper boots and all equipment is authentic from the Korean War era (when the war started most of the equipment was WWII issue). for the design and construction of the memorial and kiosk was $16.5 million.
Power of Prayer
This devotional service is a sort of cultivation. It is not simply inaction for people who like to be inactive or devote their time to silent meditation. There are many different methods for people who want this, but cultivation of Krishna consciousness is different. The particular word used by Srila Rupa Gosvami in this connection is anusilana or cultivation by following the predecessor teachers (acaryas). As soon as we say "cultivation," we must refer to activity. Without activity, consciousness alone cannot help us. All activities may be divided into two classes: one class may be for achieving a certain goal, and the other may be for avoiding some unfavorable circumstance. In Sanskrit, these activities are called pravriti and nirvriti-positive and negative action. There are many examples of negative action. For instance, a diseased person has to be cautious and take medicine in order to avoid some unfavorable illness.
Those who are cultivating spiritual life and executing devotional service are always engaged in activity. Such activity can be performed with the body or with the mind. Thinking, feeling and willing are all activities of the mind, and when we will to do something, the activity comes to be manifest by the gross bodily senses. Thus, in our mental activities we should always try to think of Krishna and try to plan how to please Him, following in the footsteps of the great acaryas and the personal spiritual master. There are activities of the body, activities of the mind and activities of speech. A Krishna conscious person engages his words in preaching the glories of the Lord. This is called kirtana. And by his mind a Krishna conscious person always thinks of the activities of the Lord-as He is speaking on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra or engaging in His various pastimes in Vrindavana with His devotees. In this way one can always think of the activities and pastimes of the Lord. This is the mental culture of Krishna consciousness.
Similarly, we can offer many services with our bodily activities. But all such activities must be in relationship with Krishna. This relationship is established by connecting oneself with the bona fide spiritual master, who is the direct representative of Krishna in disciplic succession. Therefore, the execution of Krishna conscious activities with the body should be directed by the spiritual master and then performed with faith. The connection with the spiritual master is called initiation. From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Krishna and a person cultivating Krishna consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Krishna consciousness is never performed.
This cultivation of Krishna consciousness is not material. The Lord has three general energies-namely the external energy, the internal energy and the marginal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy, and the material cosmic manifestation is the action of the external, or material, energy. Then there is the spiritual world, which is a manifestation of the internal energy. The living entities, who are called marginal energy, perform material activities when acting under the inferior, external energy. And when they engage in activities under the internal, spiritual energy, their activities are called Krishna conscious. This means that those who are great souls or great devotees do not act under the spell of material energy, but act instead under the protection of the spiritual energy. Any activities done in devotional service, or in Krishna consciousness, are directly under the control of spiritual energy. In other words, energy is a sort of strength, and this strength can be spiritualized by the mercy of both the bona fide spiritual master and Krishna.
In the Caitanya-caritämåta, by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. One who is serious about spiritual life is given by Krishna the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, and then by the grace of the spiritual master one becomes advanced in Krishna consciousness. In this way the whole jurisdiction of Krishna consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy-Krishna and the spiritual master. This has nothing to do with the material world. When we speak of "Krishna" we refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His many expansions. He is expanded by His plenary parts and parcels, His differentiated parts and parcels and His different energies. "Krishna," in other words, means everything and includes everything. Generally, however, we should understand "Krishna" to mean Krishna and His personal expansions. Krishna expands Himself as Baladeva, Sankarsana, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Rama, Nrsimha and Varaha, as well as many other incarnations and innumerable Visnu expansions. These are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam to be as numerous as the uncountable waves. So Krishna includes all such expansions, as well as His pure devotees. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that Krishna's expansions are all complete in eternity, blissfulness and cognizance.
Devotional service means to prosecute Krishna conscious activities which are favorable to the transcendental pleasure of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, and any activities which are not favorable to the transcendental favor of the Lord cannot be accepted as devotional service. For example, great demons like Ravana, Kamsa and Hiranyakasipu were always thinking of Krishna, but they were thinking of Him as their enemy. This sort of thinking cannot be accepted as bhakti, or Krishna consciousness.
The impersonalists sometimes misunderstand devotional service in such a way that they divide Krishna from His paraphernalia and pastimes. For example, the Bhagavad-gita is spoken on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and the impersonalists say that although Krishna is of interest, the Battlefield of Kuruksetra isn't. The devotees, however, also know that the Battlefield of Kuruksetra by itself has nothing to do with their business, but in addition they know that "Krishna" does not mean just Krishna alone. He is always with His associates and paraphernalia. For instance, if someone says, "Give something to eat to the man with the weapons," the eating process is done by the man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Krishna consciousness, a devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations-such as the Battlefield of Kuruksetra-which are associated with Krishna, but he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with Krishna-His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Krishna is there that the battlefield is so important.
This is the summary understanding of what Krishna consciousness is. Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the devotees are interested in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. One who is interested in Krishna becomes interested in His different pastimes and activities.
The definition of a pure devotee, as given by Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, can be summarized thus: his service is favorable and is always in relation to Krishna. In order to keep the purity of such Krishna conscious activities, one must be freed from all material desires and philosophical speculation. Any desire except for the service of the Lord is called material desire. And "philosophical speculation" refers to the sort of speculation which ultimately arrives at a conclusion of voidism or impersonalism. This conclusion is useless for a Krishna conscious person. Only rarely by philosophical speculation can one reach the conclusion of worshiping Vasudeva, Krishna. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita itself. The ultimate end of philosophical speculation, then, must be Krishna, with the understanding that Krishna is everything, the cause of all causes, and that one should therefore surrender unto Him. If this ultimate goal is reached, then philosophical advancement is favorable, but if the conclusion of philosophical speculation is voidism or impersonalism, that is not bhakti.
Karma, or fruitive activities, are sometimes understood to be ritualistic activities. There are many persons who are very much attracted by the ritualistic activities described in the Vedas. But if one becomes attracted simply to ritualistic activities without understanding Krishna, his activities are unfavorable to Krishna consciousness. Actually, Krishna consciousness can be based simply on hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. Described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam are nine different processes, besides which everything done is unfavorable to Krishna consciousness. Thus, one should always be guarding against falldowns.
Srila Rupa Gosvami has also mentioned in this definition of bhakti the word jnana-karmadi. This karmadi (fruitive work) consists of activities which are unable to help one attain to pure devotional service. Many forms of so-called renunciation are also not favorable to Krishna conscious devotional service.
Srila Rupa Gosvami has also quoted a definition from the Narada-pancaratra, as follows: "One should be free from all material designations and, by Krishna consciousness, must be cleansed of all material contamination. He should be restored to his pure identity, in which he engages his senses in the service of the proprietor of the senses." So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service. In our conditional state, our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krishna, our activities are called bhakti.
As long as one identifies himself as belonging to a certain family, a certain society or a certain person, he is said to be covered with designations. When one is fully aware that he does not belong to any family, society or country, but is eternally related to Krishna, he then realizes that his energy should be employed not in the interests of so-called family, society or country, but in the interests of Krishna. This is purity of purpose and the platform of pure devotional service in Krishna consciousness.
~ Excerpt from Introduction to Nectar of Devotion © Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
Today is my birthday.
So I added this photo.
I like G・K・Chesterton very much.
from -orthodoxy-
The sun rises every morning.
I do not rise every morning; but the variation is due not to my activity,
but to my inaction. Now, to put the matter in a popular phrase,
it might be true that the sun rises regularly because he never gets
tired of rising. His routine might be due, not to a lifelessness,
but to a rush of life. The thing I mean can be seen, for instance,
in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy.
A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence,
of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they
are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated
and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up
person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people
are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is
strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says
every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening,
"Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that
makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately,
but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the
eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old,
and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may
not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical ENCORE. Heaven may
ENCORE the bird who laid an egg. If the human being conceives and
brings forth a human child instead of bringing forth a fish, or a bat,
or a griffin, the reason may not be that we are fixed in an animal
fate without life or purpose. It may be that our little tragedy
has touched the gods, that they admire it from their starry galleries,
and that at the end of every human drama man is called again and
again before the curtain. Repetition may go on for millions of years,
by mere choice, and at any instant it may stop. Man may stand on
the earth generation after generation, and yet each birth be his
positively last appearance.
太陽が毎朝、東の空から昇るのは、
太陽が毎朝東の空か昇ることに、飽きることを知らぬからである。
毎日同じことを繰り返すのは、生命が無いからではなく、生命に溢れているからである。
私の言わんとすることは、例えば、子供のしていることを見れば、よくわかる。
子供は、特別面白い遊びや冗談が見つかった時、どうするか。
飽くこともなく、同じことを繰り返しているはずだ。
子供がリズムに合わせて足で地面を蹴り続けるのは、
活力が足りないからではなく、有り余っているからである。
子供は活力に溢れていればこそ、力強く自由な精神に恵まれていればこそ、
同じことを何度でも繰り返し、繰り返し続けて飽きることを知らぬのだ。
子供はいつでも、「もう一度やろう」と言う。
大人がそれに付き合っていたら、息も絶え絶えになってしまう。
大人は歓喜して繰り返すほどの力を持たぬからである。
けれどもおそらく神は、どこまでも歓喜して繰り返す力を持っている。
きっと神様は、毎朝太陽に向かって言っておられるに違いない、「もう一度やろう」。
そして毎晩、月に向かって言っておられるに違いない、「もう一度やろう」。
雛菊がどれもこれも皆そっくりに同じなのは、必然の自動装置のせいではないかも知れぬ。
そうではなくて、神様がひとつひとつの雛菊をいちいち手作りなさっていて、
しかも決して飽きることなく、作り続けていらっしゃるのかも知れぬのである。
神様は、子供のように永遠の欲望を持っておられるのではあるまいか。
我々は罪を犯し、だから老年を知っている。
けれども我等が父は、我々よりも若く、幼くていらっしゃるのだ。
自然界の繰り返しは、単なる反復とは違うのではあるまいか。
実は、アンコールではあるまいか。天は、卵を産んだ鳥にアンコールしているのだ。
人間は人間の子を孕み、人間の子を産む。魚や蝙蝠や怪獣の子を産みはしない。
けれどもそれは、生命も目的もない動物界の宿命に支配されているからではないかも知れぬ。
そうではなくて、我々の演ずる小さな悲劇が、神々の心を感動させ、
神々は星の煌めく桟敷から拍手喝采して、人間の一生のドラマが終わるごとに、
何度も何度もアンコールと叫び、我々役者たちを
幕の前に呼び戻しているのかも知れぬではないか。
繰り返しは単なるオートメーションの繰り返しではなく、
まさに誰かの決意によって何百万年も繰り返し続けられているのかもわからない。
だから、それはいついかなる瞬間に止まるかもわからない。
人間は、世代から世代へと、次から次に地上に存在するかも知れないが、
しかし、ひとつひとつの誕生は、今度こそまさしく人間最後の登場であるのかも知れないのだ。